Device for keeping scores in progressive games



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetv 1.

N. HILL.

DEVICE FOR KEEPING SCORES IN PROGRESSIVE GAMES.

No. 496,564. Patented May 2, 1893.

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mult- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. N. HILL. DEVICE FOR KEEPING SGORES IN PROGRESSIVE GAMES. No. 496,564.

Patented May 2, 1893.

TABEE5 WITNESSES Alf-r0701? We STATES 'ATENT i FFIQE.'

NORFLEET HILL, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AssIeNo TO WILLIAM'F. BULKELEY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DEVICE FOIRYKEEPING SCORESIHN PROGRESSIVE GAMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,564, dated May 2, 1893. Application filed January 13, 1893. Serial No.458,309. Qlo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORFLEET HILL, a citizen of the United States, residin g at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Score Systems and Counters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it apro pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved method or system of scoring competitive games, particularly those embracing a number of sets or groups of players, such for instance as drive whist, progressive euchre; progressive pedro, and any similar classbf games, whether of cards or-otherwise, and to score-markers or counters adapted to carry into'eifect such improved met-hod'of scoring games The objects of the invention are to facilitate the scoring of games, to avoid confusion in the play, prevent errors in the score, and provide acertain means of detecting errors in case they should occur, and it consists in arranging the score counters in sets, each set serving for a set or group of players, and providing the separate. counters in each set with means for indicating at once the set to which it belongs, the particular game of that set in which it was used, the result of the game, the points scored in that game, the sex or individuality of the player, andany other desired data.

Although my invention is not limited to the use of paper or printed counters, I prefersuch on account of their cheapness, and they may be most conveniently arranged in the form of small strips or tablets, each containing the counters for one set of players.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a set of score counters adapted to carry into effect my method of scoring games, arranged in tablet form. Fig. 2 shows the counters strung upon a hook, as W011 by the player, to await the summing up of the score. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent sets of counters having certain modifications of arrangement, Fig. 3 presenting the system in its simplest form and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 representing sets of counters adapted to apply my system to'ditferent games.

Heretof0re in scoring progressive games it i has been a common practice to furnish each player with a card or equivalent device upon which, in some cases, the player was allowed to keep his or her own score, either by affixing thereto an adhesive or ornamental label or device for each game won, only marking thereon the result of each game played. In other cases an attendant was assigned to the duty of marking or punching the cards of the or to award to' the winners, at each game, a token indicating such result. All such methods have psually resulted in confusion or dispute, owing in the one case to the players occasionally forgetting to mark their score, or erroneously marking it, and in the other case to some players being occasionally overlooked or omitted by the attendant in the distribution of tokens or the marking of the individual scores.

In games where prizes are awarded to the successful players any errors in the score are certain to lead to unpleasant contention and dispute, and for the purpose of rendering erroneous scoring impossible or immediately detectable I have devised the system of scoring by means of counters havingthe characteristics which I will proceed "to describe, taking for illustration the counters for fourhand progressive euchre since the counters shown in Fig. l are adapted for, that game as well as others.

As before stated, I regard the form of small pads or tablets as most convenient, the counters arranged as detachable coupons, and I therefore provide as many tablets as there are sets ofplayers, and compose each tablet of a p series of coupons corresponding innumber with the number of players or possible Winners in the whole number of games to be played in that set; thus, as there arebut two players in fourhand euchre, to wit: the two winners at each game, whose score requires to be kept, the tablet for each set would. contain two counters for each game in the set, and a tablet for a set of twenty games would of course con'tain forty counters numbered serially from one to twenty, one of which is to be taken by or awarded to each'winner at the conclusion of each game played in that set. To prevent the accidental or intentional players to indicate the result of each game, I

too

for each game I print or otherwise designate upon each counter the set to which it be" longs and the number of the game in that set. Thusin Fig. 1 the set is designated as that playing at table B, and the number of the game next tob'e played appears upon the exposed counter, the tablet being there shown complete as it appears beforebeing used. As each counteris removed it leaves exposed the number of the next game, and itself indicates the number of games so far played.

In Fig. Zthe coupon or counter shown indicates that the last game won was the fourteenth game of set B, the number of points scored by that player in that game was 12,

and that the player was a lady. As the players change partners and sets with each successive game, it is obvious that if any player were found to have the counters of two successive games of the same set, the second COIIltGI was erroneously: taken; if successive game numbers of the counters were not of suc cessive sets it would show that a game in some set had been missed by that player, and the error would be easily located by comparing the serial order of the games playedwith the serial order of the sets, which would be shown by each counter.

As a: more striking distinction of the serial order of the counters in each set they may be made of a different color for each game and if the counters are all of the same color and the printed game number is relied on to distinguish the serial order of the games, no stub is necessary, and it may be dispensed with, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, &c. If in addition to the color arrangement the game number as well as that of the set is printed on each counter, a double check is afforded, and the difference in color, it counters are eroneously taken, at once catches the eye and leads to inspection of the printed numbers and thus to an immediate rectification of the mistake. I prefer to provide each counter with a distinguishing emblem which indicates the'sex or individuality of the player. This maybe done by printing on the counters the words ladies, gents, or like matter, or preferably by printing the face or figure of a person, or a similar emblem, on the counters.

In Fig. 1 I have shown two ways of distinguishing the counters; the face of the king on the upper counter indicates that to be a gentlemans counter, and the face of the queen indicates the lower one to be a ladys counter. The ladys counter may, however,

eeensea.

The manner of using the counters is obvious; the tablet or set of counters for each set of players is provided and the play begins.-

At the end of the first game the winners each detach their proper counter, for which purpose they are preferably perforated, as shown by the dotted line in all the figures, the winners then proceed to the next table in order and enter upon the second game, taking care to see that the proper counter for that game is exposed at that set. Thus, if the counters for game one are blue, those for game two red, those for game three green, 850., every player in all the sets will, as soon as game one is finish ed and its counters removed, be aware that red is the color of the next game counters, and if atany set counters for more than game one have been removed, the color ex posed not being red will at once he noticed and the error corrected by restoring to their proper set the counters wrongly taken. On the conclusion of the playing the tablets of every set will disclose the same game number, or color, or both, if the counters have been correctly taken, alfording a final check and showing the exact number of counters to be accounted for in summing up the score.

When the number of points made is to be scored a space is provided on each counter in which the number of points made maybe inserted at the end ofeach game, as seen in Fig. 2, but I prefer to print numbers on each counter, as shown in Fig. 5, and to punch out the proper number to indicate the points made, as this prevents the alteration of the figures, and

failure to mark the score of any player is at once noticed by the absence of the punch mark, insuring immediate correction.

In Fig. 6 a tablet is shown having three counters, being thus adapted for six-hand euchre and other games, but it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to any particular number or kind'of counter, so long as the distinguishing characteristics of the counters as above described are retained and the arrangement of the counters in sets.

At the conclusion of the playing each player hands his counters to an inspector who compares the counters of the players, noting the proper sequence of game numbers and sets, the aggregate of points, &c., and who sums up the individual scores and announces the result. As each player is able to quickly verify his own score before handing in his counters, any error by the inspector is at onceknown, and as the scoring of each gameis simultaneous in all the sets, much time is saved and confusion is avoided.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A score marker for games consisting of a series of coupons arranged in sets corre sponding to the sets of players, the coupons in each set having the same distinguishing color or emblem to designate the set, and each coupon havinga difierent color or emblem to designate the serial number of the game and a space for indicating the number of points scored in that game, substantiallyas described.

2. A score marker for games, consisting of a series of counters arranged in sets, each counter having distinguishing marks or color to designate the number of the game and the set in which such game was played, substantially as described.

3. A score marker for games, consisting of a series of counters arranged .in sets corresponding with the sets of players, the counters in each set having the same distinguishing mark or color to designate the set,'and

each coupon having a diiferent mark or color to designate the serial order of the game, substantially as described.

4. A score marker for games, consisting of a series of counters arranged in sets corresponding with the sets of players, the counters in each set having the same distinguishing mark to indicate the set, and each counter having a distinguishing mark or color to designate the serial order of the game and a device to designate the sex of the player, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NORFLEE'I HILL. Witnesses:

JOHN R. Sco'r'r, J. C. ELLIS. 

